The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team hosted Western Michigan and West Virginia at the NIU Convocation Center on Friday night and set a season-high mark on bars in the meet. The Huskies finished third with a team score of 193.700. Western Michigan finished first with a 195.575, just ahead of West Virginia’s 194.775.

“We had many outstanding performances,” said head coach Nita Teague. “We need a few more hits to reach out potential, but this is a step in the right direction.”

NIU placed two in the event with senior Samantha Nickle (Yorktown, Va./York) on floor and junior Mikayla Brown (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) on vault. Nickle tied for first, her highest finish on the season, and tied a career-best 9.875. Brown tied for third and set a new benchmark, earning a score of 9.800.

In total, three Huskies scored a 9.800 or higher on floor with Brown, senior Jocelyn Harbeck (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and freshman Avery Riiff (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East). Both Harbeck and Riiff set career highs in their routines, each scoring a 9.825.

Rotation One – Vault, 48.750

Brown placed on vault for the first time this season from the anchor position and broke a previous personal best of 9.700. Junior Dawsyn Sallee (Versailles, Ky./Woodford County High) earned a score of 9.775, the fifth consecutive meet in which she’s scored a 9.700 or higher.

Rotation Two – Bars, 48.225

Riiff was the highest scoring Huskie on bars, setting a season high 9.750. Two other freshmen were just behind Riiff, with Deziray Boykin (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) finishing with a 9.725 and Elizabeth Poncin (Tinley Park, Ill./Tinley Park) scoring a 9.625.

“Avery Riiff led off our bars with a great performance,” said Teague. “We were excited to have Deziray hit the bar routine we know she can.”

Rotation Three – Beam 48.300

Brown and Sallee paced NIU on beam, earning a 9.750 and 9.725, respectively.

The Huskies scored a 48.300 on beam, the second-highest score of the season.

Rotation Four – Floor, 48.425

Sallee set on the tone on floor with a 9.775 and was followed up by a pair of 9.825 scores from Riff and Harbeck. Nickle’s 9.875 tied for first in the tri-meet and is the senior’s first win of 2026.

NIU will have nine days without competition and next travel to Bowling Green on Sunday, Feb. 15.